Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes: Step Into New
Teaching Notes
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:17-24
Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes: Embracing Transformation in Christ
Have you ever found yourself in a place in life you never intended to be? Maybe it's financial struggles, relationship problems, or harmful habits that have taken root. You look around and wonder, "How did I get here?" The truth is, drift happens. Life happens. And sometimes we end up in places we never wanted to be.
But here's the good news: while you cannot change your past, you can make changes today that will radically change your future. You don't have to stay stuck. Change is possible, but it requires action.
Why We Stay Stuck in Old Patterns
In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul writes: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
Paul is calling us to radical change - to put off the old and put on the new. The Christian life isn't passive. Yes, we receive salvation as a free gift of grace, but then we must respond. Grace isn't a destination; it's a starting point that changes everything and guides us every step of the way.
The Bible is full of promises about transformation:
Going from death to life
Turning mourning into dancing
Moving from bondage to freedom
Replacing a heart of stone with a heart of flesh
Transforming hatred into love
Converting judgment into mercy
Changing anger into kindness
These radical transformations are available to us as we walk with Jesus. But nothing changes if nothing changes.
How Does Real Change Happen?
Looking at Ephesians 4:17-24, we can identify three key principles about change:
1. Crisis Fuels Change
Sometimes God allows a crisis in our lives to get us moving. Not because He's mean, but because He wants us to walk in the freedom He designed for us.
Paul describes the old way of life as "futile thinking" - hoping that old ways will somehow produce new results. That's the definition of insanity: doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results.
Many of us are looking for life in all the wrong places. Like Solomon, who had wealth, power, women, influence, and fame, yet concluded "vanity, vanity, all is vanity." If life's meaning could be found in those things, he would have found it.
The Honeymoon Room We Never Knew We Had
Consider the story of a newlywed couple who spent five days of their honeymoon in what they thought was their room - a small, disappointing space with a tiny bed facing the wall. Only when the wife cut her foot and they needed a bandage did they discover there was a door behind the bathroom door leading upstairs to a beautiful master bedroom with French doors, an infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean, and all the honeymoon amenities they had paid for.
This happens to all of us spiritually. We settle for the good things of life without knowing the true source. We make "mud pies in the slums" as C.S. Lewis put it, when a holiday at sea is being offered to us.
When God is your source - when He's where you run for meaning, identity, purpose, and life - everything else becomes a gift rather than an idol.
2. Conviction Sustains Change
Paul continues describing those separated from God: "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity."
The danger is developing calluses on our hearts. What begins as conviction gradually becomes comfortable. When conviction fades, compromise becomes comfortable. The first time you compromise, you feel guilty - that's God's gift of conviction. But if you keep compromising, the guilt fades, your heart hardens, and eventually you don't recognize the damage you're causing.
Here's the warning: Change gets harder the longer you wait. Sin always gains momentum in our lives.
The Runaway Truck
Think of it like a truck accidentally left in neutral on a steep driveway. At first, it rolls slowly, and you might have a chance to stop it. But if you wait too long, it gains speed until it crashes through fences and ends up in the pool.
That's exactly how sin works. If we feel conviction over certain behaviors but don't change, that thing gains momentum until it's going so fast we can't stop it.
How do we guard against a hardened heart? Honesty, confession, and letting in trusted friends. When you name your struggle to someone else, conviction returns, the Holy Spirit works in your heart, and you find new strength to change.
3. Choices Create Change
Paul instructs us "to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self."
Notice the active language: put off, put on. Paul isn't saying "sit back and God will take it away." He's calling us to action. Salvation is a free gift, but sanctification requires our participation.
We must honestly name the things sabotaging our lives, uproot them, make new choices, and take new actions. Day by day, we must renew our minds and remind ourselves: "That's not who I am anymore."
Your old way of life no longer serves the person you are becoming. You must let go of:
Gossip and slander to speak life and encouragement
Grudges and offenses to live in forgiveness
People-pleasing to speak truth in love
Avoiding conflict to have difficult conversations
Explosive anger to walk in patience
Drowning anxiety in distractions instead of turning to God in prayer
Running from pain instead of walking through it with God
Sanctification is faith with skin on it. It requires daily choices - putting things off and putting things on.
Are You Drinking Salt Water?
Louis Zamperini, whose story is told in the book "Unbroken," was stranded on a raft in the Pacific Ocean for over 70 days during World War II. He warned his fellow survivors not to drink the ocean water, no matter how thirsty they became, because the salt would dehydrate them faster and lead to death. Tragically, some men eventually broke down, drank the seawater, and died within a day.
This powerful image reminds us of Jesus' words: "Come to me, all who are thirsty." Where are you running to quench the thirst of your soul? What wells are you drinking from that can never satisfy?
Life Application
Nothing changes if nothing changes. Today is the day to take action toward becoming the person God created you to be. Here are some questions to consider:
What area of your life has God been highlighting that needs to change? What's one specific action you can take this week to begin that change?
Where have you been looking for life in places that can never truly satisfy? How can you turn to Jesus as your source instead?
Is there a conviction you've been ignoring that has gradually become comfortable? Who is one trusted person you can talk to about this struggle?
What "old self" habit do you need to put off, and what "new self" practice do you need to put on in its place?
Remember, transformation is possible. Freedom is possible. But nothing changes if nothing changes. Take that first step today.
Setlist
WFC Lenexa + WFC Anywhere
Take You At Your Word- Cody Carnes
I Know A Name- Brandon Lake/CeCe Winans
Bless God- Brooke Litgerwood
WFC Speedway
The Joy- The Belonging Co.
Living Hope- Phil Wickham
Nothing Else- Cody Carnes
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